No Rest For The Wicked
by dynex25
Summary: Three years after the Promised Day took place, both Ed and Al have returned from their studies abroad. But the brothers soon find themselves locked in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse when they discover a plot to create another Philosopher's Stone.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"So, what do you think of my product?" Asked a man clad in a dark grey coat and matching hat and trousers. He held a cane in his left hand that didn't seem to support his weight correctly. He was speaking to a suit of armor with glowing red eyes.

"I don't think you can really call this a 'product'. Besides, if this is what you say it is, I know some people who would love to get their hands on it," said the suit.

"How can you say this isn't a product?" the man said in dramatic disbelief, "This journal is being sold, and I, dear sir, am the seller. You see, I have spent my life working on said journal and now you come in and insult me by saying it 'isn't a product'? How dare you?" the man said in false anger.

"Clearly," the suited man said briefly, "but what I want to know is how you came across such a thing."

"Does it matter?" the man asked, obviously dodging the question.

"I suppose not, but I do need to check the contents to be sure the journal is legitimate," the suited man said, reaching for the journal. The grey clad man snatched the journal away from his gloved hand.

"I think not. I will be screwed over on this deal!" the man said, impatience taking control of his voice.

The suited man sighed, and then said, "Fine, have it your way. But when I open this journal it better have the information I desire."

"Of course, of course, now where is the money I was promised?" the man said eagerly. The armor clipped the journal onto his belt, and then reached for the other side where a rather large pouch rested when the far wall lit up with bluish white lightning. The wall suddenly exploded, sending debris flying across the small apartment. The man grabbed the head of the cane with his right hand and pulled a sword out of the length of the cane. The man swung his sword at the armor's helmet, but the suited man caught his arm and violently wrenched the sword from his hand. The suit twirled around and cut at the man that had just come through the wall but missed. Then the suit of armor pivoted on his heel and ran the grey clad man through the gut and pinned him to the wall. Then he dove out the window, and landed on the rooftop below with a roll. The man stopped momentarily to look at the man pinned to the wall, and then jumped out the window himself.

A second man came sprinting through the hole in the wall but stopped to check on the man pinned to the wall. The second man grabbed the sword and yanked the sword out him and wall. The grey suited man fell to the floor, another pool of blood already beginning to form around his body. The color in his face was draining quickly. The second man, knowing there was nothing else he could do, rushed forward and jumped through the window as well.

The suit of armor came to a stop in front of a rooftop to high to climb. He clapped his hands together then touched the floor, a pillar shooting out of the ground beneath him and launched himself onto the roof. The first man jumped forward, hitting the wall in front of him and pushed himself off the wall landing on top of the pillar. He then jumped from the pillar to the roof in front of him. The rooftop chase continued until the second man came launching over the side of the roof, cutting the armored man off. The trio came to a halt, when the suit of armor said, "So you've caught me, now what?" The two men were both blond, but one of them- the taller one- had his hair tied back in a braid. Also, he had golden eyes, as opposed to the shorter one, who had grey eyes.

"Now, we kick your ass!" yelled the taller one.

_So this is my first fanfiction (fan fiction?) so I thought I'd start it off with a bang. Just in case you're curious, I decided to make Ed slightly taller than Al, at least for the beginning. Any thoughts on how I could make the action or dialogue or even the descriptions better that would be greatly appreciated._

_ Also, I'm probably going to be updating my story every week, mainly because I have most of my first couple of chapters already written out._

_P.S. I've updated the chapters and description because I had forgotten the epilogue had taken place two years after the Promised Day. Now my stories timeline won't conflict with the anime/manga timeline._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Ah, the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother, how…unexpected," the suit of armor observed. Frustration was beginning to seep into his voice. "How can I help you?"

"You can start by telling us who you are," Ed demanded.

"I could, but where's the fun in that?" The suit asked sarcastically, "but you can call me Rickert."

"Rickert, huh? What the hell kind of name is that?" the taller one asked.

"A fake one, obviously, but I feel like I need to give you a name, since I know yours."

"How courteous," Ed said concisely.

"And what about you, Mr. Cold Shoulder? You haven't said a word," Rickert said sarcastically.

"You're under arrest for murder," Al said seriously.

"Oh, you're no fun."

"So, are you going to give up, or are you going to make this difficult?" Ed asked.

"Both choices are so compelling, but if I had to choose one, then I'd choose the latter," Rickert said flatly.

Suddenly, he clapped his hands and touched the rooftop, shooting a row of spikes at Edward. He side-stepped, dodging the attack easily. Al rushed forward into an immediate counter attack, kicking at the hunched suit of armor in front of him. Rickert rolled away from the attack, sweeping his leg at Alphonse's feet. Al jumped back into a handspring. Ed swung his left leg at Rickert's torso, connecting with his chest. The collision reverberated in the armor. Ed furrowed his brow, and then jumped away from Rickert towards his brother. "Did you hear that, brother?" Al whispered.

"Yeah, I did," Ed responded, "you know what to do, right?"

"Yeah, I'll do it."

"Right, let's do this." Ed rushed forward, jumping for a high kick. Rickert dodged backward, and then counter attacked, punching at Ed. He dodged right then hand sprang away. Al clapped his hands and slapped the rooftop, sending a row of columns shooting up through the ground. Ed climbed the stairs, and then jumped forward, bringing his left leg down into an axe kick. Rickert blocked the assault, grabbed Ed's automail leg, and through him off the roof. Ed barely caught the edge with one arm. Al rushed forward to attack Rickert when the armor swept his leg at Al's. Al vaulted over his assailant, catching the helmet through the eyeholes with his fingers and used his weight and momentum to pull it away from Rickert.

"Hey, give me back my head!" Rickert yelled to Al. Just as he thought, this man was _hollow. _Ed picked himself up onto the roof.

"Al, he's hollow, isn't he?" Ed yelled to his brother.

"Yeah, he is."

"I'm not going to say it again: give me back my head," Rickert said coldly. Ed rushed forward to aid his brother when Rickert clapped his hands and touched the roof, shooting another row of spikes at the brothers. They dodged easily but Al was caught off guard by Rickert attacking him almost immediately. He got punched in the face, causing him to recoil. He stumbled backward then was hit in the gut by Rickert's knee. Al fell forward onto the rooftop, his consciousness fading.

"Al!" Ed yelled. Suddenly, Rickert swung his leg at Ed, crashing it into the side of his head. Ed was thrown back, but he recovered quickly, but not quickly enough. Rickert had thrust his hand up; his palm collided with the bottom of Ed's chin. Ed collapsed; his vision was starting to blur.

Rickert bent down, leveling his head with his opponents. He whispered something in the young man's ear that visibly upset him. Edward tried to get up, but his body did not allow it. His muscles ached and his head pounded. "Wait…you…bastard," the Fullmetal Alchemist managed to squeeze out. But his call was missed and he soon slipped into the darkness of his mind underneath the afternoon sun.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Alphonse's eyes fluttered open. He sat up groggily; he felt like his muscles had been thrown into a blender and set on liquefy. He rubbed the back of his head and then ran his fingers through his hair. He scanned the rooftop quickly, searching for anything. Something slow moving caught his eye. It was Edward waking up from his own sleep. "Brother!" Al yelled to Ed. Ed recoiled slightly, and then gave Al an evil glare.

"Don't yell…" Ed muttered miserably.

"Sorry," Al whispered.

"Its fine," Ed said, "what time is it?" Al shrugged and then looked up. The sky was no longer a bright blue, but was a beautiful shade of orange and pink.

"early evening, probably," Al commented.

"Yeah," Ed agreed. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide in a sudden realization. Ed attempted to stand but his massive headache and aching muscles stopped him. He slowly took his time, regaining his strength, and stood, and walked to the rooftop door. He opened it then stepped in leaning heavily on the wall. Al followed, doing the same. The brothers descended down the stairs, both of them almost falling several times. It took time, but the two men finally made it to the streets.

"Brother, we should go to a hospital, I'm not feeling very good," Al whimpered.

"We can't spend days there, though," Ed told him.

"Why?" Al questioned.

"I'll explain later," Ed answered vaguely. By the time they made it to the hospital, the sun was almost set. Dusk was settling in. Ed spoke to a doctor that pulled them into a room shared by a few other doctors and patients. They walked behind a curtain and the doctor asked them a series of questions.

"Sounds like you two have a concussion and a couple of torn ligaments," the doctor informed them.

"How can you say that so nonchalantly?" Ed griped.

"Brother," Al said softly to calm his sibling, "do you treat people like this a lot?"

"From time to time. Guys usually get into drunken brawls and they end up like this," the doctor said.

"Can this be fixed quickly?" Ed asked impatiently.

"Only with bed rest," the doctor answered without looking up from his clipboard,

"Thank you, doctor," Al nodded. Ed also thanked the doctor for his help then headed back to their apartment.

They made it back to their apartment within an hour or two, especially because they were still so groggy. Ed stepped into the living room with a piece of chalk and drew a five point symbol on the hardwood floor. He opened a drawer and pulled a few daggers out of the drawer. He stabbed the daggers on the five points that was on the star and then made a second star using the same procedure. Both Ed and Al had learned alkahestry in their travels, and have become exceptional alkahestrians, but neither Ed nor Al are fast enough to use it in combat like May Chang, so the only practical use they have for it is for medical purposes.

"Al, I have the circles set up," Ed yelled to his baby brother.

"Coming," Al yelled from down the hallway. He awkwardly limped to the circle and then sat down in the middle, crossing his legs. Ed touched his hands onto the outside perimeter of the circle and then focused momentarily. The circle began to glow, the intensity increasing every second. But it only lasted a few seconds, and the glowing stopped, and Al stood up and jumped up and down for a second. "All better," Al said, testing his muscles.

"My turn," Ed said unenthusiastically. He sat down in the middle of the second circle and crossed his legs. The circle glowed momentarily when Al activated it. Then Ed stood up, tested his own muscles, and, clearly satisfied with the results, headed towards the door. Al stopped him, "Where are you going, brother?"

"We have to catch that man, Al!" Ed exclaimed.

"You were going to tell me something before, what was it?"

"Rickert, he told me he was going to attack Winry and Pinako."

"What? Brother, why didn't you tell me this before?" Al asked, somewhat saddened by his brother's decision.

"You needed some medical attention, Al," the teen said, "Besides; I'm going to the train station now."

"Without me?"

"Yeah, I need you to stay here in case that madman decides to stay here instead."

"Oh, sure, that makes sense," Al said unconvincingly.

"You can come with me to the train station," Ed offered, and Al jumped at the chance.

Once down at the station, Ed began half-talking, half-arguing with the teller. Al only caught fragments of what was being said. Words like "Resembool" and "Emergency" were being tossed around until Ed exclaimed, "Wait, the train that's leaving now is headed to Resembool?" Suddenly, Ed hopped the barrier in front of him, shoving past guards and passengers alike. The train was beginning to leave the station, picking up more and more speed every second. Ed was in full sprint by the time he hoisted himself up onto the very last train car before the train moved out of sight. Al caught a glimpse of Ed waving to him, his signature red coat billowing in the wind. Al waved back with a big smile and then turned to leave the station and back towards his apartment.

Al made it back to their apartment around midnight, his body burned of all its energy. Al undressed to his skivvies and then flopped on his bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

_Sorry about all the time lapses, but I don't have the patience to explore every single detail of what the rest of their day was like. This last part was kind of rushed I know, but its 10:30 here and I'm dead tired. Also, if you're curious, Ed can use alkahestry because it draws from a different power source then alchemy._

_P.S. Romance is listed as one of the genres, but it is really because there are going to be some touch parts and all that good stuff, but for the most part its adventure/ action._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Edward was rudely awoken by a man clad in a blue uniform holding a rifle, asking about a ticket. _What the hell is a ticket? _Ed thought, still drowsy from his long nap. He was about to tell the guy to 'piss off' but then his brain finally registered what was being said to him.

"Listen brat, do you have a ticket or not?" The soldier asked impatiently.

"I think this will suffice," the teen said, pulling out a silver pocket watch.

The soldier suddenly snapped to attention, immediately saluting Ed, saying some gibberish that sounded like, "I'm sorry, sir, I did not realize a state alchemist was on board the train!" Mustang and the fuehrer allowed Ed to keep his certification after he retired from the military, and even gave one to Al. The pocket watches gave the brothers access to almost anything and let them travel to most places in Amestris.

"Its fine," he said, dismissing the soldier, "but you oughta work on that attitude."

"I will, sir," the soldier said, still saluting. Then he walked off, his buddies almost burst out laughing.

Ed was used to this sort of treatment after he showed people the watch or told them who he was. _The Savior of Amestris. _He liked that title. _It has a nice ring to it,_ Ed thought. _It's been a while since I've been back to Resembool. Not since I-,_ he blushed suddenly, remembering the last thing he and Winry talked about. Then he snickered to himself, recalling her response.

The train came to a stop at the station shortly after. Ed stood up and stretched, letting out a big yawn. He stepped off the train, gazing at the endless plains and hills, spotting the occasional cottage or house off in the distance. It was early morning now, about seven or eight. He took in a deep breath, breathing in the fresh, crisp air. It was good to be back.

Ed began walking down the road. The first person Ed had contact with, a big, burly man, said, "Is that you, Edward?"

"Yeah, long time no see, Polter," Ed greeted.

"Wow, you've actually gotten taller!" Polter commented, "It doesn't look like you got any taller."

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A BITE-SIZED SUPER MIDGET?!"

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, Ed, I'm just playing around," Polter apologized.

"Grr…" Ed snarled. The two men continued to walk and talk for a little while longer before Ed and Polter parted ways at an intersection and waved their goodbyes. Ed continued along, greeting several people along the way.

After a few miles and about an hour or two of walking, the young blond saw a bright yellow house come into view. An old dog, which had been sleeping on the front porch, perked its ears up. The dog picked its head up and gave an enthusiastic bark, and then stood up to stretch. Winry heard talking from outside her window. She looked out and saw her childhood friend playing with her dog. She stepped outside and gave the man a warm smile. "Hey Winry, I'm home," Ed called.

The two stepped inside the house, Ed rubbing the top of his head. "Why the hell did you even have a wrench?!" the teen grumbled.

"Because you come back after almost two years of being away, without as much as a letter from either you or Al!" Winry scolded.

Ed smiled warmly at her. It was _definitely_ good to be back.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ed, Winry, and Pinako all sat around a small coffee table that rested in the middle of the kitchen. As the trio conversed, Ed kept taking quick glances at Winry. "So," Winry said to Ed suddenly, "what are you here for?"

"What are you talking about, Winry? Can't I visit every once in a while," Edward said nonchalantly as he sipped at his coffee.

"That's not what she meant, Edward. She meant you usually have a good reason for visiting," Pinako said.

"Well, there actually is a reason why I'm here," Ed said seriously.

Winry blinked at him, "What's that?"

"Al and I have reason to believe you two may be in danger," Ed told them, leaning forward, "That's why I'm here."

"How do you know?" Winry asked.

"A man calling himself Rickert told me he was coming here," Ed answered.

"Sounds to me like he was just trying to get you out of Central," Winry concluded.

"We already came up with that conclusion," Ed stated, "that's why Al isn't with me. Oh, yeah, that reminds me, can I use your phone?"

"Sure, it's in the living room."

Ed thanked her and then stood up from the table and walked into the living room. He found the phone, picked up the receiver, and then dialed a few numbers. A man picked up on the other line, "This is General Mustang, who is this?"

"You're a general now? Impressive," Ed said.

"What do you want, Ed?" Mustang sighed.

"I just wanted to inform you that I'm no longer in Central," Edward said.

"Why?" Mustang questioned.

"Personal matters," Ed said quickly, then added in a hushed voice, "I also want you to keep an eye out for a hollow suit of armor calling himself Rickert."

"Rickert, huh? What kind of name is that?" Mustang asked rhetorically.

"Not a good one," Ed answered unnecessarily.

"What has he done?"

"He killed a man, but I have a feeling that he has more plans."

"Like?"

"I don't know, yet, but it's definitely not something good. Can you check for any criminals that were supposed to be executed during King Fuehrer Bradley's rule that might have used that alias?"

"Sure. Anything else I should know?"

"Not at the moment."

"Should Al be with me?"

"Yeah, he was with me when we…encountered him."

"Alright, then I'll get to work. What are you doing on this 'personal matter'?"

"Let's just say I'm following up on a lead."

"OK, then, I'll call you back if I can dig up anything."

With that, Mustang hung up. Ed set the receiver down on the telephone. Edward heard someone say his name behind him. He turned around and saw it was Winry. "Will it be dangerous?" She asked.

Ed hesitated, and then said, "It might b- OW!" He was cut off by Winry hitting him on the head with another wrench. "Where the hell do you keep getting these wrenches?!" Ed yelled in surprise. Suddenly, she pulled him into a hug. He hugged her back, pulling her even closer. "You don't need to worry, I'll be fine. Did you forget who you talking to?" Ed joked softly.

"You're so arrogant," she chuckled.

"Heh, I guess I am."

…

Al was awoken by a knock at his door. He yawned and sat up, stretching. He walked to the door and opened it, noticing it was Roy Mustang. "Colonel Mustang, hello," Al greeted him.

"It's general now, Alphonse," Mustang corrected him, "Anyway, Ed had me come by today."

"Oh, really, what for?"

"He told me to investigate into some leads."  
" Okay, I'll join you. Um, but can I get dressed first?"

"Of course," Mustang said before turning around. Al closed the door behind him. He quickly threw on a pair of black pants and a white dress shirt. He opened the door again, still buttoning his shirt. Mustang was still standing in the same place he was when Al left him. He stepped out the room and closed the door behind him. Al and Mustang started down the hall in silence. Neither of them could think of what to say. Of course, Mustang did not show it on his face.

They made it outside in about five minutes. There was an idle car parked next to the curb. Al and Mustang climbed into the car. "Hello, Alphonse," Riza Hawkeye greeted Al.

"Hi, lieutenant Hawkeye," Al responded.

"It's lieutenant colonel, now, Al," Mustang informed him.

"Oh, you were promoted to?" Al questioned eagerly.

"That's right," Riza affirmed.

"Now, down to the business," Mustang said, "what do you know, Al?"

"I'm assuming we're talking about Rickert," Al guessed. Mustang nodded. "Well, I don't know much about it."

"How did you find out about him?" Mustang questioned.

"We got a tip about a deal. But it was weird, because the man who gave us the tip about the deal _was _the dealer," Alphonse explained.

"That is strange," Mustang agreed. Al grew silent and serious.

"What's wrong, Al?" Riza asked. Al shook his head slightly.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Al stared at his hands on his knees. Mustang watched the road out the front window. Riza took a glance at Al through the review mirror every once in a while. The car came to a stop in front of a massive, official looking building. "The National Central Library?" Al asked.

"Yes, Ed asked me to search for a couple of leads. This is where we'll find them," Mustang explained.

"What kind of leads?" Al asked.

"That's what we're here for."

The two alchemists climbed out of the back seats of the automobile, leaving Riza to park the car. As the two men walked up to the steps, a man bumped into Al. He and Al fell to the ground, scattering the groceries the man was carrying. "I'm so sorry, sir, please forgive me," the man apologized to the young alchemist.

"No harm, no foul," Al said to the man. He and the man continued to chat away as they picked up the groceries and put back into the bag. "By the way, I don't think you told me your name?" Al asked.

"It's Jackson Rickert," the man responded. Now this is where Ed and Al were different. If Ed was in this situation, he would have chased the man until he was blue in the face. But all Al said was "Rickert? That's an unusual last name." They said their goodbyes and then the man walked off.

Al and Mustang started up the many steps leading up to the library's entrance. The guards standing at the entrance saluted Mustang as he walked past but then stopped Al. Al reached for his back pocket but quickly realized his pocket watch was no longer there. Al stared off in the direction the man had walked in. _Rickert, _he thought. That single name bounced around in his head. Had he just let their only lead walk away without a second thought?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Let him through, he's with me," Mustang ordered. The two soldiers just looked at him with confusion.

"But, sir, the National Central Library is for state alchemists and military officials only," the soldier informed him unnecessarily.

"I'm well aware of that, soldier. Nevertheless, I'm giving him a pardon, though."

"But, sir,-" He was cut off by Mustang with a hand.

"For Christ's sake, this is one of the men that saved your pathetic ass as well as the entire country! If anyone is more qualified to enter the library, it's him!" Mustang practically yelled. The soldiers blinked, slack-jawed. Even Al stared at Mustang.

"Y-yes, sir," the soldiers stammered. They stepped out of Al's path and even opened the door for him.

The two alchemists stepped into the library. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with books on alchemy, Amestris, and even the border countries, despite the lack of information that is available. The room was filled with bookshelves that were littered throughout. There was a second floor that was that had an even wider selection, but not as many books, although the amount was still bigger than Al was able to even imagine. _Brother is going to be so jealous, _he thought, smiling sheepishly.

They began climbing the steps to the second floor. Once they were on the second floor, they made their way to the back of the building. They turned right behind a bookcase and Al saw a door with the notice 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' painted in red on the wood. Mustang passed the soldiers who saluted him, like the soldiers outside. When Al passed, the soldiers did not even give him a second glance. It was only when the door closed did the soldiers dropped their salute, but they never dropped their professionalism.

The small room was filled with nothing but books. There was not a single space that was not filled with books. It surprised Al that the floor and ceiling were not covered with books, as well. They walked to the back to the counter in the back. A brunette with messy hair and a pair of glasses was sitting at the window, scribbling away on a piece of paper. There was another huge stack of papers that was placed off to the side. "Hi, Sheska," Alphonse greeted her.

"Oh, hello, Al," Sheska said without looking up, "is there something I can help you with?" Her voice was completely void of emotion.

"Are you okay, Sheska?" Al asked cautiously. She slowly looked up at Al. Tears were streaming down her face, her glasses were fogged up.

"Help me, Alphonse, I haven't slept for weeks! I've been recreating every book in this library for the past year!" She cried. Al let out a sigh of relief. _Classic Sheska, _Al thought.

"Can you give me every criminal record that resulted in an execution during King Fuehrer Bradley's rule and before?" Mustang interjected.

"Uh, sure," Sheska agreed hesitantly. She walked away for several minutes before returning with a massive stack of paper that she barely managed to balance, dropping it on the counter. Al and Mustangs' jaws touched the counter top. Mustang picked up the top half of the stack, Al picking up the second half. They walked to the small round table that was resting in the middle of the room.

They set the stacks down and then went to work, checking every name, prisoner number, date arrested, criminal offense, and known aliases. After hours of exhausting searches, the stacks were only about three quarters done. Mustang's weary face suddenly perked up. Al noticed it, "Did you find something?"

"Maybe, but this can't be right," Mustang said.

"What's wrong?" Al asked curiously.

"Well, this says that his name was Brohime Streisland and that he was a Drachman spy," Mustang explained, "and one of his many aliases was Rickert Faison."

"What's so weird about it?" Al inquired.

"What's weird is that…" Mustang hesitated, his eyebrow furrowing deeper and deeper every second. "What's weird is that I killed him. I shot him and killed him, but it says his execution date was two years later than when I killed him."

"Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe it was someone else," Al tried to make sense of the situation.

"No, I remember every face I encounter, especially when I've seen it after I killed them," Mustang muttered.

"How could he still be alive two years afterwards?" Al asked.

"I…have no clue." Then the name 'Jackson Rickert' started bouncing around in Al's head again.

"The man that bumped into me earlier today, his name was Jackson Rickert."

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Mustang yelled. He stood up so fast that he knocked the chair, and his blue jacket that was resting on the back of the chair, over.

He practically ran to the counter Sheska was working on, slamming his hands on the top, making Sheska jump. "GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ON JACKSON RICKERT!" Mustang yelled at her. Sheska jumped up and sprinted into the back for a few seconds. She came back holding a single file. She gave it to Mustang, who flipped it open to see the face. His eyes opened wide upon seeing the man who possessed the name 'Jackson Rickert.' Short, brown hair, blue eyes that were ice cold, a sturdy chin, and thin lips. He was a direct match to the prisoner in the mug shot. But the prisoner had to be seventy-five, at the least. The man with the name 'Jackson Rickert' was thirty, at most. Mustang curled his hands into fists, crumpling the paper. "Damn it, Streisland, why won't you stay dead?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Edward Elric lay across the couch, reading in a low voice from the small leather book that he keeps in his back pocket. "Water, twenty-five liters, Carbon, 20 kilograms, Ammonia, 4 liters, Lime, 1.5 kilograms, Phosphorous, 800 grams. Salt, 250 grams," he read, but then stopped. Someone was climbing down to stairs. He looked up from his book to see two blue eyes staring down into his own gold ones. "Hey, Winry," Ed greeted nonchalantly.

"Hey, Ed, what are you doing?" Winry asked almost too cheerfully.

"My alchemy notes, why?"

"Just curious. So I wanted to talk to you," Winry said timidly.

"About?" Ed asked suspiciously, eyeing the young woman in front of him.

"About," she hesitated, "us."

Ed blushed harshly, "Saltpeter, 100 grams, sulfur, 80 grams, fluorine, 7.5, iron, 5 grams, silicon, 3 grams!" he read loudly, attempting to drown out the young woman in front of him. His face was practically shoved into the book pages like he was trying to read it through osmosis.

"Ed! Don't be so immature about this!" Winry yelled.

"And trace amounts of 15 other elements," Ed finished quietly and then shut the journal with a resounding clap, "what about us did you want to talk about, exactly?" Ed was obviously trying to conceal his embarrassing outburst, although, rather poorly, seeing as his face was lobster red still.

"Well, remember when you were about to board the train to Xing, but then you stopped to talk to me?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, you remember the conversation we had right?" Winry pushed on.

"Um, vaguely, I was sick that morning so it's all kind of a blur," Ed blabbed, trying to avoid the awkward topic. But Winry was not going to let the conversation end.

"C'mon, you have to remember," Winry continued.

Ed sighed exhaustingly and then gave in, "Yeah, I remember what we talked about. Why do you ask?"

"What did you mean by that?" Winry asked, blushing slightly and lowering her head to look at the floor.

"What did I mean by what?" Ed asked.

"When you told me..." she hesitated again, grabbing for her limp arm, "that you'd give half of your life for half of mine, what did you mean?"

"Even if I'm a genius," he sighed, and then added with a chuckle, "I still have a hard time with words sometimes, don't I?"

"Stop avoiding the question!" Winry yelled.

Ed instinctively flinched, expecting her to conjure up some phantom wrench, but no such thing happened. Ed patted on the couch cushion next to him, gesturing for her to sit. She did so, but stiffly, like it was all a trick. "What I meant was," the nineteen-year-old said softly as he leaned in close, pulling her into a tight hug. Winry did not move forward, but she did not back away either, which was a good sign. But, before the two young lovebirds did anything more the phone rang.

Edward pulled back hesitantly, trying to decide whether to pick up the phone or not. Winry stood up quickly picked up the receiver, snatching it away from Ed's hands. The blond listened to a young voice for a few seconds and then handed it to Ed and said, "It's Al."

Ed nodded then took the receiver from her hands, and said irritably, "Yeah what's up, Al?" Suddenly, he shot up, tightening his free hand into a fist. "Figures Mustang knows this Rickert guy. That bastard has his fingers in everything. Okay, I'll head to Central with Winry and Pinako. There, Mustang, you, and I can reconvene and you two can debrief me on everything you found out; sound good? Okay, I'll talk to you later." _We've got you now, bastard._

_Finally, Ed has been brought into the loop, for the most part. __This chapter has been revised so that the EdxWin pairing flows better. Still a bit sudden, I know, but this is the best I'm willing to do, at least for now._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Edward knocked on the bedroom door again. He has been attempting to get Winry to talk to him after what had happened about an hour earlier. "Winry, c'mon, open the door," Ed called. Slowly, the door creaked open and there stood the young blonde in the doorway. "Winry?" Ed asked, genuinely confused by her reaction to Ed. She walked back to her bed and sat down, leaving the door open for the young man to enter. Ed stepped into the room, sitting down on a stool that was meant to be for Winry's work station. "Was I out of line downstairs?" He asked finally.

Winry shook her head, "No, you were fine. But I'm still confused by…what we are."

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, "It doesn't take a genius to figure out what I meant a year ago, and my feelings haven't changed since."

Winry stayed silent for a while, and then said, "With you getting into so much trouble so often, I feel like if we become something more, then I would worry even more than I do now." They sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them trying to figure out what to say next.

Ed sighed, "Well, I should tell you that we need to get moving back towards Central to reconvene with Al and Mustang. Pack some stuff up and we'll leave today. I'm going to go tell the same thing to Pinako." Winry nodded as he left the room.

Ed found Pinako standing at the base of the steps, smoking on her iconic pipe. Ed started to speak but was cut off by her hand. "You know she worries about you, right? Both you and Al. Don't go disappointing my granddaughter," she said, taking a deep drag from her pipe.

"I wouldn't dream of it," the Fullmetal Alchemist said while looking back at Winry's room, "anyway, I want to go back to Central and I need you to pack some luggage so we can get moving as soon as possible."

Pinako nodded her acknowledgment, and then brushed past Edward and proceeded up the steps to her own room. Ed walked into the living room and plopped down on the sofa ungracefully, sprawling out again. His book was sitting on the coffee table just where he had left it. He picked it up and began writing down notes on the blank pages. He set the items down then closed his eyes, drifting into a blissful sleep. He would not dream of disappointing Winry.

…

Some time had elapsed during his nap; the sun was beginning to dip below the hills. He had slept for hours, but who could blame him? He had been up all night the day before, besides the short sleep he managed on the train. He stood up and stretched, silently cursing himself for wasting so much time sleeping. He climbed the steps leading to the upstairs bedrooms, the staircase creaking under his weight. He reached the top of the steps, noticing that the hall was almost too dark to see. Something stirred in the darkness, moving from the far corner and disappeared around the bend.

Ed stepped forward to follow the shadow but froze at Winry's door. He wrapped his fingers around the door knob and pushed the door open. There was a figure holding Winry in place, his arm wrapped around her neck. The figure leveled a gun to her head. "You could have saved me, you know." A man's voice said, grinning viciously. Ed suddenly new who it was: his eyes widened. "If you were faster, maybe you could have saved me. But the real question is: are you fast enough to save her?" The voice hissed. A gunshot rang out and Winry collapsed to the floor, a pool of blood formed around her head the moment it touched the hard wood.

Ed collapsed to his knees, tears ran down his face. Suddenly, he felt something crawl along his back with ten little appendages slowly caressing his back. He visibly shuddered when he heard a thin, raspy voice over his shoulder, "You disappoint me, Edward. First, you leave me all alone, and then you let _her _die? I thought I _raised_ you better." Ed shut his eyes tight, squeezing the last of the tears away before another gunshot rang out.

…

Edward sat up quickly; his forehead was beaded with sweat. He looked outside the window. The sun was still up, but was receding fast. He stood up and ran up the stairs. He threw Winry's door open, startling her. "What wrong, Ed? What's happening?" Winry asked, visibly concerned.

Ed chuckled to himself, "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Are you packed up?"

"Um…y-yeah," she stammered.

"Alright, then, we should get going soon."

"Okay, then."

A few hours passed and the three adults were on their way to the train station. They got to the station and bought three tickets to Central. Another two hours elapsed before their train made it to the station. They boarded the train, which was almost deserted, save for a few. One man stood out above the rest though. A man, brown hair, blue eyes, and a strong body and jaw line. He eyed the trio as they boarded with an almost bored curiosity.

He stood up and approached them. "Excuse me, but are you, by any chance, Ms. Winry Rockbell?" The man asked.

"Uh, yes, I am."

"I just want to thank you for saving me from losing everything," he thanked while pulling up the sleeve on his left arm. "I know automail costs a fortune, but you gave me this second chance free of charge."

Pinako took a glance at Winry, who smiled bashfully, "Oh, don't worry about it, really. Would you like to sit down?"

"Thank you, another kind act."

They sat and talked for most of the train ride, swapping stories and laughing genuinely. After a few hours the man stood up and walked back to his seat with a bow, directed in Winry's area mostly. They sat in silence for a while before Ed drifted to sleep, again, along with Winry and Pinako. The rest of the ride had to be short, no matter how they made it.

_I was having a hard time writing the ending to the chapter so the last few paragraphs is probably going to sound like a lot of babbling. I'm trying to get Ed, Winry, and Pinako out of Resembool as fast as I can._


	9. Chapter 9

_Just as a heads up, F-bombs, so not for the super young. I don't know why you would be reading if you were super young, but what the hell?_

Chapter 9

"God, if I was on that train for another minute, I was going to freak out," Ed complained. "Finally in Central, now we can get some work done." The trio began walking through the station mingling between them when Ed heard a familiar voice call his name, or rather, call him brother. "Hey, Al," Ed called back waving, but then shrank when he saw who was with him.

"Edward," Mustang greeted.

"Colonel," Edward responded indifferently.

"He's actually a General now," Al corrected.

Before Ed could make a rude comment, Winry cut in, "Oh, you were promoted? That's great!"

"Yeah, fantastic," Ed muttered. Winry glared at him. "What? This promotion is just going to increase his ego even more!" He protested.

"Anyways," Mustang interrupted, somewhat annoyed, "we have information that you probably want to look at." Ed instantly became serious. He nodded, and then brushed past Al and Mustang.

About an hour later, Ed, Winry, Al, and Pinako settled their luggage down in Ed and Al's room. "Alright, Al and I are heading to the National Central Library with Mustang. If you two need anything, you can find us there," Ed said. Winry and Pinako nodded and then the brothers walked out to meet a waiting Mustang outside the room.

"So, what were you able to dig up?" Ed asked once they were in the stairway.

"We found out that a man named Brohime Streisland used the alias Rickert Faison," Mustang explained.

"General Mustang seems convinced that he killed Brohime Streisland, but his official execution date was two years after General Mustang supposedly shot and killed him," Al elaborated. He pulled the papers out of his pocket and showed Ed.

Ed looked at the paper thoughtfully, "A Drachman spy? I didn't know that Drachma actually spied on us."

"There are spies from Drachma, Xing, Creta, and even Aerugo in Amestris, even though we are not currently at war with either Xing or Aerugo," Mustang interjected.

"Oh, well, good to know. So, how does this help us?" Ed asked.

"This man is almost seventy-five in this picture," Al stated, pointing at the mug shot of the man, "but I met a man the other day, his name is Jackson Rickert. The same face, the same eyes, but Jackson Rickert is about fifty years younger than Brohime Streisland."

"Did you guys get a picture of Jackson Rickert?"

Mustang pulled out another piece of paper and handed it to Ed. "Wait, I know this guy," Ed stated, narrowing his eyes on the face on the piece of paper. Where did he know this man from?

The trio stepped outside into the summer sun and brushed past a man with a fedora and trench coat. The man walked up the steps leading into the hotel. Edward stopped and looked back. "Don't you think it's a little hot out for a trench coat?" He asked rhetorically. He turned to follow the man, Al and Mustang trailing behind him. They continued up the steps cautiously, being careful not to arouse anymore suspicions. There was commotion above them; thumping and pounding. The trio rushed up the steps, fearing the worst. They noticed the door to their hotel room was broken and slightly ajar. They slipped in silently, daring not to breathe. But the room was empty. No sign of Winry or Pinako or what, or whom, could have broken the door.

"Fuck! Where the hell did they go?!" Ed yelled.

"How could they have disappeared so quickly?" Al asked incredulously.

"Wait, look," Mustang pointed at the window. There were signs of a quick transmutation. "They had to have gone this way."

"Then let's go!" Ed barked before having Al transmute the wall. Ed jumped out onto the adjacent rooftop, followed by Al, but Mustang turned around to follow by foot.

Ed caught the glimpse of the man shoving Winry off the roof. "Hey!" Al yelled in protest. The brothers rushed forward to catch the man but he jumped, too. They looked over the side and noticed a transmuted hand that lowered the man and his abductees to the street. Al transmuted their own hand and lowered them to ground level as well. Ed and Al rushed across the street, chasing Winry and Pinako's abductor. He shoved the two women farther by jabbing a gun into Winry's back.

The brothers finally cornered the man in an alleyway while Mustang caught up to them. "Alright, you son of a bitch, who the hell are you? What do you want?" Ed barked.

The man pulled Winry in front of him as a human shield, "Turn back the way you came, or I'll kill this girl here and now," he said as he leveled his gun with Winry's head.

Ed jumped forward grabbing the man's arm and pulled him away from Pinako and Winry. Ed threw the man to Al who slugged him in the gut, causing him to collapse to his knees. The man lifted his gun up to shoot Al but Ed snatched his arm from behind and twisted it behind his back. The man dropped his gun. Ed stepped around the slumped figure and grabbed him by his coat and pulled him to his feet.

"Let's try this again: who are you?" Ed growled. The man simply smiled. "Why the hell are you so happy?" Ed snapped.

"Just wait 'til my boss gets 'is 'ands on you," the man spat out. Ed brought his left knee up into the man's stomach, forcing him to cough out all the air in his lungs. He went limp in Ed's hands momentarily.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Ed snarled again. Al stepped forward, visibly concerned. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABOUT YOUR 'BOSS'?" Ed's grip tightened on the coat in his hands. Winry put a hand on his shoulder. Ed's grip tightened even more before he let go, pushing the man away. "Al," Ed said wearily. Al transmuted a box around the man with a series of breathing holes at the top.

"Wait! Hold on!" The man called to the group as they walked away. "I'll give you what you want! I'll tell you everythin'! Please!" His voice was muffled. Ed almost missed it. But it caught Ed's attention nonetheless. He walked back to the box. Al transmuted a small rectangle so the man could talk.

"Alright then, spill it," Ed commanded.

"Not 'til you let me out," the man negotiated weakly.

"Okay, your choice," Ed said nonchalantly as he walked away.

"Damn it, wait! I'll. . . I'll tell you! But promise me you'll let me out afterwards!"

"That all depends on you."

"Alright; six weeks ago a man paid me to find you. He wanted me to kill you but abduct the women."

"What man?" Al interjected.

"Tall, brown-haired guy, built like a fuckin' bull. I never knew 'is name."

Al pulled out a photo and showed it to the man, "Was it this man?"

"Yeh, yeh! It was 'im!" He exclaimed.

"Hey, that's the guy that we met on the train!" Winry pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, it is him," Ed scratched his chin.

"This can't be a coincidence," Mustang said.

"Alright, so who are you?" Ed asked forcefully.

"I'm Noel Mintt."

Okay, so why would you accept this job?"

"The money was good!"

Mustang thought a minute, "You're coming with me. You'll be useful later." He clapped his hands and negated Al's transmutation.

The man took a few steps towards Mustang when a loud gunshot rang out. The man's head snapped back and he fell to the floor, dead. The group turned to see a smoking gun in the hands of Jackson Rickert.

_The plot thickens! Again. Well, thanks to those of you who stuck with this story for this long. I've been basically writing out of my ass up from chapter 5 to now. I had most of my story already written out, but I've made lots and lots of changes and modifications. Please review and don't hesitate to give me any suggestions on where to take the story, writing, fighting, or fluff (I know there hasn't been a whole lot of fluff, I know, but I'll be getting to it soon)._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"I hate loudmouths," Jackson Rickert stated blandly. He slid the gun into his coat pocket before turning around and walking away. Suddenly, a wall sprang up between the man and the open street.

"You're not going anywhere, you bastard! I have some questions for you!" Edward yelled at him.

"You don't want to do this."

"Yeah, I do." Ed caught a glimpse of Mustang slipping on his spark gloves out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, if this is what your heart is set on, I guess I can humor you, at least for a little while."

Mustang was the first to act. He snapped his fingers, sending a directional flame at Rickert. Rickert dodged lazily and appeared in front of Mustang and gave him a quick jab to his nose, breaking it easily. Al rushed forward and assaulted Rickert with an axe kick. Rickert easily sidestepped and then swept his leg at Al's legs. Al fell backward and landed on his back. Ed was Rickert's next target. Rickert punched at Ed twice, but was blocked. Ed swung his left leg at Rickert's head and missed. But his opponent used the opening, delivering a brutal kick to the side of Ed's face. There was a sickening crunch as Ed's cheekbone cracked under Rickert's foot and was flung against the wall.

Mustang fired two more directional flames at their enemy. Rickert dodged both and before he smacked Mustang across the face with a backhand, Mustang squeezed out, "Shit. . ." then was sent flying down the alleyway. Al jumped back in, kicking at the back of Rickert's head. He dodged and grabbed Al's leg and swung him into the wall. There was a loud crack as Al's head hit the concrete and was knocked into unconsciousness as well. Ed slowly tried to stand, blackness encroaching on his vision. Rickert stepped up and grabbed him by the throat. He felt himself being lifted off the ground. Suddenly, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Ed struggled to breathe and clawed at the hand that held him. Then there were three loud cracks. He was dropped to the ground suddenly, his legs unable to support him anymore. The encroaching black on the outside of his eyes finally overpowered his consciousness.

Rickert grabbed his wounded arm and looked to see where it came from. Winry fired two more shots which hit him in the chest and shoulder. None of the shots did any lasting damage, but he bled nonetheless. Rickert jumped back and ran out the alleyway, obviously aware that he had overstayed his welcome, as he heard the approaching sirens. Winry's knees shook, as well as her hands. Then she collapsed onto her knees. As Rickert rushed out of the alleyway, but dropped a single piece of paper. Pinako watched it float lazily to the floor before she picked it up and stuffed it into her pocket.

The emergency teams arrived shortly after Rickert left. They loaded the three men into the back of the ambulance and were hauled off to the hospital.

_I know this is a shorter chapter and I'm sorry. I'm leaving the rest to the next couple of chapters. Don't forget to review and give me any suggestions you might have for the story. Thanks for reading!_


End file.
